Dokku vs Tsuru
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Dokku
Smallest open-source PaaS implementation you can run
VS
Tsuru
Extensible open-source application platform
| Feature | Dokku | Tsuru |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | kubernetes, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 32,099 | ★ 5,299 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Heroku | Heroku |
Why pick each one
Choose Dokku if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 32.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
Choose Tsuru if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 5.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Dokku or Tsuru better?
Dokku is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Tsuru if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dokku and Tsuru free and open-source?
Yes. Dokku is licensed under MIT and Tsuru under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dokku and Tsuru with Docker?
Dokku: yes. Tsuru: yes.